W&M alums present their original work at the Capital Fringe Festival

Working hand-in-hand with College faculty, two groups of
students and alumni from William & Mary will premiere their artistic
talents on stage at the nation’s second largest Fringe Festival. The two plays, Shrewing of the TamedandEvery
Night I Die, are both written by alumnae and will run throughout the month
of July at the 2011 Capital Fringe Festival in Washington D.C.

Francesca Chilcote '11, who received her B.A. in theater with a concentration in acting, along with Laurie Wolf, associate professor
and director of William & Mary Theatre, created what they describe as a
feminist adaptation of Shakespeare’s Taming
of the Shrew. Chilcote, who has been
working on the play since September of 2010, also has the starring role as Kate
in her take of the play called Shrewing
of the Tamed, which premieres on July 13.

“What makes this show special is it was created by just a
student and a teacher, and everyone in the show are my closest friends.” said
Chilcote. “I edited these roles with them
in mind. If they weren’t in my head in
the beginning, they were in my head by the end of the process.”

Everyone involved in Shrewing
of the Tamed is a Tribe alum.
“Everyone down to the guy doing the lighting went to William &
Mary,” she said.

The message Chilcote wants to send in her play is
specific. Rather than changing the way
the audience thinks about the original Taming
of the Shrew, Chilcote wants to change the way people think about women and
men in general after seeing her adaptation.

“I am looking forward to giving people a different
perspective on Taming of the Shrew, but
hopefully there will be some bleed over into real life as well,” said Chilcote.

Amanda Andrei ’10, who graduated with a degree in anthropology, wrote the other W&M affiliated play
also showcased at the Capital Fringe Festival.
Andrei is of Filipino heritage and also participated in a six-month
study abroad in the Philippines, which in turn gave her the inspiration to
write Every Night I Die.

“When I first wrote this show, I was concerned that the
Philippine folklore and culture might render the show inaccessible to audience
members,” she said. “However, I found out
that that is what makes the show unique and special. It turns an otherwise
universal story of a broken family and broken souls into an enchanted and symbolic
tale. The Philippine culture and land is an integral part of the story, one I
hope that enriches people’s imaginations and brings new energy and life to the
stage.”

The cast and crew as well as volunteers for Every Night I Die span an age range from
undergraduates, to recent alumni, and include professional performers from the
DC-Baltimore area and New York. The
shows director, Associate Professor of Theatre Francis Tanglao-Aguas, has been
commuting almost daily to D.C. as they rehearse for their premier performance
on July 9.

“I am thrilled with this
project because it exhibits a pinnacle experience when W&M students
collaborate with faculty and an outside territory such as the Philippines,”
said Tanglao-Aguas.

The Capital Fringe Festival
will be going on from July 7-24. Tickets
can be purchased at www.capfringe.org.